For A While

I’ve been trying to figure out how to make a version of this picture for a couple of years. I’m not sure what the trees are, but they are primordial. They are original trees from the days when much of “backatown” New Orleans was a swamp. A swamp that was reclaimed. Drained and built upon.

Whenever I found them, either the background didn’t work or the lensing wasn’t appropriate.

Along came my new — old now, because Samsung just released a newer version — smartphone. Like most modern phones its camera functions are amazing. Not only can I increase the length of the lens from approximately 28mm to 56mm with the push of a button. But, once I get it there, I can use two fingers in a pinching motion to increase the length of the lense by six fold to about 336mm. This all internal. Nothing actually pokes its head out of the phone. This is more of that computational photography I wrote about earlier.

Finally.

I found the background. And, I had the lens capable of compressing the scene into my vision. The vision that kept me looking for at least two years.

This picture is the result.

I could have gone out looking for the picture, armed with one of my mirrorless camera bodies and a couple of lenses, but this was easier.

Too easy.

If I wasn’t a working photographer, it would be simple to put my camera gear on a shelf, forget about it, remember it and sell it on Ebay for pennies on the dollar.